


The Betrayals

by Arkencielle



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Clexa Pride Week, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:33:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27371242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arkencielle/pseuds/Arkencielle
Summary: On the calm island of the Ark, in the archipelago of Atlantis, Clarke is slowly learning to be a queen. But a strange young girl, Lexa, is going to change lightly her present... And hugely her future. Because Clarke falls in love with Lexa, when she has absolutely no right to do so.[Childhood: 14 years old, Story: 22 years old]Fanfiction of The 100 but everything is understandable without having seen the series, I just took over the characters!I'm really sorry if I make mistakes, english is not my mother tongue.
Relationships: Clarke Griffin & Lexa, Clarke Griffin/Lexa
Comments: 10
Kudos: 27





	1. The Signal

The room was almost silent.  
You could only hear the sound of hundreds of breaths.  
All united in a single blast, a single desire, a single impatience.  
The room was in a huge cave.  
Lit by burning torches, hundreds of dark eyes were pointed at the door.  
Waiting for their new king. Waiting for the winner of the initiation tests.  
The door opened.  
A young brown girl entered the room. She was still wearing a large bandage stained with blood on her arm.  
The assembly remained shocked for a moment. Then a murmur ran through the room, grew louder, growled, until it became a roar. A laughter rose, not mocking, but joyful and excited.  
The girl had crossed the room and stood on a platform. She raised her hand and silence fell. Total and instantaneous.  
"Ombiens! You know what my presence here means. This is the Signal we have all been waiting for. The time has come. »  
All eyes were shining with impatience. Except two.  
In Lexa's eyes reigned sadness.


	2. Childhood

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Clarke's foot slipped on a wet stone.

The princess had that day decided to climb the rocks of the coast with the other young people of the island.Everything had gone very well, until she slipped on this rock.

Moved by a reflex, she grabbed as best she could what was passing under her fingers. A piece of cloth, which did not resist for long. And she fell two meters further down on the wet sand, with in her hand... A pair of pants. The pain of the fall was soon replaced by an interminable laughter as she saw the brunette, up there struggling.

"Come down! "she shouted to her, between two laughter.

Somehow, the brunette began to de-escalate the rock, throwing an angry look over her shoulder. A pretty face by the way, unusual green eyes, black makeup around them, giving her a wild look that immediately pleased Clarke.

The children around were watching the scene attentively. When she was downstairs, she stayed against the wall, her cheeks red with shame and anger.

"Give it back to me now! »

A big smile appeared on Clarke's lips.

"Come and get it, honey! »

Whistles rang out in the surrounding area, enlarging the smile of the princess and accentuating the redness of the brunette. Clarke approached very close to the girl, waving her pants like a carrot, before moving away suddenly, in a big laugh. The brunette wrinkled her eyelids, entering in a cold anger. She came out of her hiding place, with a good dose of courage, before running towards Clarke. The latter, pleasantly surprised, ran a few circles around the rocks before finally letting herself be caught up and fall into the sand in a nice roulé-boulé. But the princess hadn't finished having fun yet. She passed over the other, sitting on her belly and blocking her arms with her knees. Then, with the public's approval, she swirled the pants over her while the girl stuffed her back with knee blows. With a big smile on her slit face, she bent down to kiss her, and then she got a headbutt that made her laugh a lot.

The humiliation had gone on long enough, and she put the pants on the girl's head and ran away. She didn't worry too much about the girl. After all, one had to make enemies to make friends, and this episode would soon be forgotten on L'Arche.

***

Clarke had been engaged to a prince since he was a child. Everything pointed to a perfect and happy life. The prince was handsome, only a few years older than her, and funny on the rare occasions when she had seen him...

Her reign on the island of the Ark would begin in a few years. Her father was old, sick, her marriage with Finn would come soon. It would seal the union of L'Arche and Atlantis, the two most important islands of their Archipelago, separated for too long by interminable quarrels.

She was the eldest of her family, so it was up to her to lead her island. The idea of women submitted to men on the other side of the ocean made her laugh. She would have been told that, that she would have taken her sword and pierced the men who were stealing her right; even if it meant getting herself killed. Yes, Clarke was convinced that she could achieve anything.

Because she was a princess, the guards were under orders never to let her out of their sight (they took their job so much to heart, by the way, that she had often had to chase them out of her powder room - although she wasn't sure that this was only because they took their job to heart). To tell the truth, they were more there to protect her from herself than to protect her from others, life in L'Arche being calm, sweet and salty-smelling. But Clarke, like all intrepid princesses, had a lot of fun escaping her guards. Dressed almost in rags, she roamed the town and the coast, and her easy touch got her many friends.

A few days after the pants episode, Clarke crossed the brown head in the streets of the city. She smiled, and grabbed the girl's arm. She must have had a good memory of it, as an irrepressible desire to stay with her ran through her body.

"I recognize you! You're the girl who had a lot of courage last time! Come here, I want to make it up to you. Please, give me a chance! Please, please, please, please, please! " she made her cutest look.

The other pursed her lips. Clarke could see her actively thinking.

"If you want. »

The princess jumped for joy, and they both went for a walk in the forest. Clarke could see that his companion was reluctant.

"I promise, I won't kill you! "she said with a smile.

The joke didn't even make the brunette's lips shiver, she just gave him a penetrating look. A look that twisted the blonde's insides, without her being able to explain why.

"What's your first name?

\- Lexa.

\- ... Wow, you're not even asking me mine? You're not very polite, ahaha!

\- ...

\- Well, I'm Clarke, nice to meet you! I'm fourteen years old, and you?

\- Thirteen.

\- Oooooh but you're a little baby! Don't worry, I'll show you everything you need to know! " said Clarke in a wink as Lexa stared at her with her beautiful emerald eyes.


	3. Childhood (2)

As the weeks went by, Clarke got to know Lexa, in small ways, the brunette being stingy on the answers. Clarke found her in the city and sometimes took her on boar. She understood that she came from TonDC, another island of the Atlantis archipelago; that her brother had stayed there but she had left with her uncle; that she was running away from who knows what; etc.... On the other hand Clarke never said a word about her status as a princess. She hated it when it interfered with her relationships.

One beautiful spring morning, an hour before dawn, Clarke came to pick up Lexa at her home. She had never been there, but the girl had hinted in conversation that she "didn't sleep well at night because of the drunk men coming out of Raven's Tavern across the street.

Lexa came to the door, her eyes still heavy with sleep, rubbing one of her hands against her face while the other held her to the doorframe, as if the dreams of her night could blow her away at any moment.

Clarke couldn't help but find her adorable. The girl, without her tribal makeup but in black tank tops and shorts, letting appear her long legs tanned by the sea sun, looked like an angel... straight from the caves of Persephone.

"Clarke" she sighed, already accustomed to the girl's different whims. "I guess if you didn't let me finish my night, you have something special in mind?

\- Good point! But I'm not telling you anything, it's a surprise!"

The blonde came closer with a huge smile. Lexa attracted her with a relentless magnetism she couldn't fight against. When they were together, she always needed to touch her, take her hand, cuddle her, even though her friend was always trying to keep a certain physical distance.

Naturally, Lexa moved to let Clarke in, and Clarke took her hand and led her upstairs, where she assumed the brunette's room was. Once there, she chose a door at random (Clarke liked risk) and miraculously found the right one.

She rummaged through all the closets to find the clothes she was looking for, while Lexa looked at her, slightly amused. When she found them (a nice dress and a warm vest) the room was a mess.

"I swear you're going to clean that up, Clarke."

"Yes yes, but later, we have to hurry if we want to be on time! Get dressed," she said, staring at her frankly. 

Lexa looked at Clarke, then at the clothes, then at Clarke, before deciding :

"Mmmm, can you please get out?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, overwhelmed, before leaving the room.

"I've already seen you with less clothes on! "she shouted to her, referring to their meeting. And having already turned away, she couldn't see the dark glow that lit up the brunette's eyes.

A few minutes later, the two girls ran towards the Golden Coast. After a journey along a small, almost invisible path, they arrived at their destination.

A boat was moored in a beautiful little crescent cove. The cove looked like chiselled by an artistic god, a crib for the sea sleeping inside. Small rugged hills came to die in the salt water, leaving only to the east, in front of the land, a space for the sea to spread its lascivious waves on the golden sandy beach.

The place breathed with serenity and Lexa felt tears in her eyes.

Seeing her friend moved, Clarke led her with a smile to the boat that was waiting for them, casting off the moorings and propelling them into the middle of the water. And as a few drops began to pearl on her forehead, the sun pierced the surface of the sea, right between the two hills.

Its wandering rays first lit up the shimmering trees, the golden sand, the translucent sea, and finally Lexa's hair, bringing out its most intimate shades. With her heart on the verge of imploding with such beauty, she stood in the fragile boat, frail nymph invincible in the light of dawn, and burst into a happy laugh that reached Clarke like a delicious discharge in the pit of her stomach.

Lexa could not take away her eyes from the mad beauty of nature around her and Clarke could not take away her eyes from Lexa's mad beauty. And when the green blooms came back to her, all her organs began to dance in her belly. The brunette sat down and whispered softly:

"Thank you."

***  
One day, as the wind brought sea spray into the castle tower, the Prince of Atlantis, Finn, her fiancé, came to visit her.

In her long red silk dress, Clarke was waiting for him in the velvet sofa, her legs wiggling around, unable to stay still. As soon as he seated beside her, a lively discussion began, as it always did, with one person reporting rumors from across the ocean and the other commenting on them in her assured voice.

"The people of the continent have created black monsters, which gallop very fast, and a thick smoke comes out of their nostrils. They call them trains!"

"Wow! I love it! I would love to ride on it, go even faster than on a horse, it must be awesome!"

"Ahaha, they're probably not as awesome as you are, Clarke."

"It's true that I'm pretty awesome," she said with a grin.

"I mean it," Finn replied, bowing his head.

Clarke's heart missed a beat. Damn it! Was he flirting with her? Usually, she liked to play that game a lot. But not this time.

Tetanized, she saw Finn move closer to her, closer, closer, until he put his lips on hers. Deep disgust gripped her, and she brutally pushed him away. She stayed a second in front of him.

"I... I... I just... I'm sorry. »

She ran away. Tears ran down her cheeks without her understanding why, without her understanding why she had been so disgusted, without her understanding why everything had changed.

She left her dress in the hallway, staying downstairs and wearing a tank top. She knew she wanted to find Lexa, and that's what she did, going down the streets looking for her, now knowing exactly where she could find her.

It was next to the big barrel, the one that was the pride of the city because it was almost as big as a house, that she found her. She threw herself into her arms, tears were still flowing. Lexa received her as best she could.

"Clarke?"

"Come with me," she said between two tears. 

Clarke took the lead again. She guided the brunette to a hiding place, before dropping to the ground and opening it. She wiped her eyes with one hand and took a bottle with the other.

"I need a drink, come with me."

The request almost sounded like a supplication. Lexa, without saying a word, grabbed a vial and took a sip. Clarke followed her, downing a quarter of the liquid in a single gulp, before pushing a long, rasping, groan of pain.

"I want to stay with you, Lexa... I want to stay with you..."

The girl didn't answer anything. Clarke sobbed.

"Drink."

Lexa drank.

"I'd like you to come, Lexa, next to me. I'm scared. »

Lexa landed next to her and their hair blended together.

"Drink."

Lexa drank.

"I've been thinking, you know. Well, I haven't thought too much either, I'm not capable of it, but I've been thinking a little bit anyway."

Clarke put his head on the tanned shoulder.

"Drink."

Lexa drank.

"I think I'm in love."

The princess raised her head. Lexa turned hers. Their breaths mingled, their eyes met, their mouths were really close.

"Drink."

Lexa drank.

"I think I'm in love with you. »

***

Within a few days, Clarke was smiling again. She was in love, she was happy, everything was going well. She was a princess. Noone could deny her anything, and she would have Lexa, she knew it. Totally confident, she lived life to the fullest without question. For several weeks, she walked hand in hand with the brunette, sharing pure moments of delight when they were alone and she could, little by little, discover the joys of kissing, even though Lexa always refused to go any further.

One day Clarke decided to tell her father. She definitely couldn't marry Finn! It was Lexa she was in love with. Her father would understand, and if he didn't, which seemed unlikely to the princess because she had always had what she wanted, she would fight. Her life had always been perfect after all.

But the reaction was not the one she had expected.

"Clarke! In a few years you'll be at the head of this island, do you think you can give in to any childish whim? Your morning classes weren't enough? Maybe I should double the dose, to finally get into your stupid head that power is not a right but a duty. You know that your marriage with Finn is necessary, that if you are caught with someone else, it will be the beginning of a long war! You disappoint me deeply, Clarke. You can step down now."

Clarke remained mute, speechless, watching her life crumble before her. She didn't dare to say anything, all her courage had vanished. He had never spoken to her like this before.

No, she couldn't break that barrier. The father's barrier was too important, the authority barrier too present. Of course, she knew that she shouldn't fall in love with someone else, but she had thought that for her, perhaps, an exception?

She stayed cooped up in her room all day long, with an empty mind. The big questioning that her father imposed on her was not to please her; so she tried not to think about anything; and the next day she went out to take her mind off it, but her feet carried her all alone to the places where she had gotten used to finding Lexa.

When she went back to the Palace, she ran into her and it was with great excitement that she came to talk to her. Without crying, because the shock was far too great for that, she approached her and stammered to explain to her what was going on.

"We can still see each other in secret, still love each other, still...".

Lexa stopped her with a gesture. Fear twisted her stomach.

"But why do you think I want to stay with you, Clarke?" Lexa cried, her voice in tears and her eyes broken. "Why should I love the girl who humiliated me on my first day on this island? Who made it so that now I spend my days alone or surrounded by adults because I'm too ashamed to look at those you consider your friends? But of course, selfish that you are, you didn't even realize it! May your body be lost at the bottom of the sea."

The insult that came straight from TonDC broke Clarke's last remaining pieces of heart. She fell to her knees as the one she loved ran away.

She put her head on her legs.

And remained slumped.

This episode totally transformed Clarke. Lexa seemed to have disappeared from the island. For a long time she hardly said a word, limiting herself to what was strictly necessary. She was thinking. The intrepid and frivolous girl became a hard and calm woman.

But what if... a few years later, Lexa came back?


	4. The Queen of Omb

"Clarke, I have a message for you. It comes from the Omb island. »

She thanked Finn with a smile, reaching out her hand to take this mysterious message. In three years of reign, it was only the third time this island had attempted any contact with her. Contact being here synonymous with letter. They were a little shy, these Ombians. A representative of each island had come to the Funeral and when Clarke came to power, but she had received from them only a poor missive of condolences and congratulations. Then six months before, a few words scattered on a parchment to tell her that in their home too, the king had passed away and given way to a new queen - the first queen in a long time, if not always. And it was clearly not an invitation to come to the coronation.

So obviously she was intrigued by this new mail. What would it contain this time? Clarke was searching, but their interactions were so limited that the two previous letters were the only ones she could think of. She then unsealed it, slightly feverish although she didn't want to show it.

"The new Queen of Omb wishes to re-establish diplomatic links between our countries. She would like to meet you as soon as possible and visit your lands. We would be honored if you would consider our proposal (you will find the details in the attached paper).

May the sea always cherish your land,

Garel, first adviser of Omb. »

She rereads the letter several times to make sure she understands it. The Queen of Omb wanted to come? They finally wanted to establish contact after so much time away from the world! Had they understood that their mines of obsidian, this material so much sought-after by jewelers, could make them rich? Or was this new queen revolutionary? Either way, Clarke was really looking forward to meeting representatives of this mysterious island - and especially their queen!

She then got up from her desk, her ideas too bubbling to continue working - who would have thought that the job of queen would consist of so much paperwork? She walked down the stairs of the west tower, crossed the lively castle courtyard - a herd of sheep was returning from the meadow to the sheepfold, and while five children were playing with wooden swords, a few Silent Girls were running between two doors, merchants were calling out, and all this little world was making a nice racket. The young queen stood for a few seconds watching this scene, thinking that it was one of the best rewards she could have for her office. She then went through the gates that led to the city, with the idea of stretching her legs. But she changed her mind and instead used a hidden staircase to get down.

Just a few steps down and already the hubbub subsided. Clarke found herself in the confined, heavy atmosphere that had frightened her so much as a child, but which she now appreciated. She grabbed the flashlight that was burning permanently at the entrance. Her slow footsteps echoed through the vast corridor. Clap. Clap. Clap. The air is colder here. A shiver runs down her back. Rectangular shapes are vaguely outlined by the glow of the torch and thousands of shadows play with it.

Suddenly she stops. It is here. She gently approaches the form and kneels down. The ground is frozen beneath her knees, but she doesn't care.

In front of her is Father's grave.

***

When Lexa had left seven years earlier with such violent words, Father had been her confidant, crutch and best friend. In spite of all his workload and his other children, he had taken up a lot of time for her, consoling, lifting and strengthening her. She knew she would be forever grateful and had long since forgiven him for any harsh words he may have said about her. She now thought that they only reflected a reality that her young age did not allow her to see. Their relationship had been enormously strengthened and he had been able to pass on to her all of his art, which he had struggled to do in previous years. She learned more in three years than in all the previous years. She was able to discover the subtleties of politics, the puzzles of economics, the beauty of geography, etc... In her heart was really a desire to do well, to become a queen worthy of her father. She wanted to bring as much good to l'Arche as he had been able to do, by keeping peace for so many years with their neighbors, by making the island and the boat trade prosper, by developing new concepts of sharing ideas that increased agricultural production. She appeared much more often at parties and ceremonies, instead of running away at the first opportunity - but she insisted on never wearing a skirt. She saw then her relationship with people changing very quickly, much more quickly than she would have believed it. She was now seen as their princess. As for this history with Lexa, as the face of Clarke, at the time, was more known as that of a kid of the districts than that of the princess, the rumours did not circulate and this element of its youth fell quickly in the lapse of memory.

Except in her heart, of course.

Father had been ill for about a year when he died. He had caught a bad case of bronchitis, which had turned, with remissions and relapses, into an illness that devoured his body and mind. Clarke was already doing most of the work, his only difference then with a real queen being the Stone. It all happened very quickly and it was only weeks after she was able to really grieve.

She was crowned the day after her father's death. Tradition had it that the people would gather on the beach of the Cross, so called because on a clear day you could see in the distance a huge rock carved into the shape of a cross - by whom, why, nobody knew. The new sovereign, under the cheers (in general), would embark in a canoe with the weighted body of the old one, or, failing that, a bag of pebbles. A few strokes of the oars, which seemed to take a long time after a night's watch, and when the boat was far enough from shore, the king or queen could throw the body overboard with varying degrees of ease.

Clarke cried at this point, but fortunately no one could see her.

When she returned to shore, her tears had dried enough to make her smile seem right. Her guard held her close, saving her from being crushed under the compact crowd that was gathering to see her. An uneasiness took her at that moment, but it was only when she saw a glimmer of both reverence and envy in the eyes of one of her old friends that she understood. Even on this island far from the misfortunes of the mainland, a person was only ever considered by what he or she embodied. These people had all seen her more than once before and she had, as a good Arcadian, spoken to most of them, but now that her title was being upgraded, their opinion of her was changing. Clarke felt like shouting that she was still the same person. That the only difference was that part of her that had broken off as she watched her father's face slowly disappear into the clear water.

But of course that was impossible.

The festivities would continue for the people in the evening - and all night long - with a gargantuan banquet where the alcohol would flow.

As for Clarke, that afternoon she discovered the ritual of the Stone.

***

"Clarke, at last I find you! It is necessary to organize the visit of the Umbians. Are you coming? »

Simrit, the Stonekepa of the Ark, cut her in her reverie. She stayed a moment on the ground, gathering her strength, before getting up again with a wink.

"I'm coming! I wouldn't miss it for the world! »

She followed Simrit to the council chamber. With its upholstered seats and large bay window, it could have been really nice. But going in meant staying there for very long hours.

Sitting in the same seat for so long is never pleasant, even with the softest seat.

Especially when the discussion remains very down-to-earth. For example, the distribution of their guests in the rooms of the castle did not interest her to the greatest extent. On the other hand, trying to guess what this queen would look like seemed much better. What did she know about the Ombians? Very little, to tell the truth. They would all be brown, with more or less dark skin. Distrustful, they refused all immigration to their island, not allowing them to bring spies into their homes. Contrary to the Arcadians, they were not very talkative and reserved (rather unpleasant in the eyes of Clarke, therefore), but, it was necessary to recognize it, courageous and intelligent warriors. So brave and clever that, in the many years of war that preceded the present period of peace, no island had ever won a single battle against them. Soon, the wishes of the budding conquerors of Atlantis, TonDC, or even the Ark had ceased, preferring to keep their men in raids they could win. On the other hand, while they had always defended themselves admirably, they had never tried to annex another island.

Never.

They thus refused any mixture, refusing emigration as well as immigration. And their island was in their image: built like a continent, with their capital in the middle. On the contrary, the capitals of the other islands were all located near the sea. Omb prevented a maximum of contact, being an immense plateau bordered on all sides by a vertiginous cliff. Harbors were installed in the rare places where the cliff was sloping more gently, and where it was possible to reach the inland, making this island an impregnable fort. The plateau, a fertile ground, provided them with all the food they needed, allowing them to remain in perfect autonomy.

Introverted, stable, brown... Was it the people who, according to their characters, chose a territory that resembled them or, on the contrary, was it the territory that shaped them?

In any case, this famous queen was very likely to resemble this description: a brown woman, unpleasant and brutal.

Clarke was really looking forward to meeting her.

Clarke and his advisers were just finishing the final details when her daily hour of meeting with the population arrived. She had made a point of increasing the frequency of these meetings. It seemed to her that this was the most important part of her job, the part where she felt most useful. She went down the stairs and settled down at a table in the courtyard, Simrit on her left and Mooc, the master of finance and one of her former tutors, on her right. The weather was fine that day, so she took the opportunity to hold the meeting outside. Clarke liked to feel the sun brown her skin.

Usually, people came to her with concerns they couldn't solve on their own. She would establish a fair division of inheritance, send a hunter to settle a score with a wolf that attacked the sheep, or a guard to protect a family from a crazy neighbor; once she even had to draw a sheep for a child. But sometimes they would come to tell her good news. They would introduce her to their newborn child, come to brag about their sales figures, reveal their marriage. Every once in a while, she would have the pleasant surprise of running into a childhood friend she hadn't seen in a long time, and would end the evening with him at Raven's tavern. It was for these moments that she loved being queen, to see sparks of joy or gratitude in his eyes.

Of course, sometimes she couldn't accede to every request. In general, everything went well, because normal foalks were always very accommodating and the Silenters did not dare to come. But from time to time, as on that day, an old fool would manage to get through the entrance filter and would come and spit his rage in his face, spouting nonsense about the continent, about his selfishness, or sometimes about his itchy buttocks.

When a woman with tangled hair stopped in front of her, Clarke immediately suspected that she belonged to the latter category of people (the old fools, that is). She raised two fingers to the guards, telling them to be ready.

"Betrayal is coming, Clarke, betrayal is coming... Be ready, for the horror is near. »

Something in her croaking voice made her shiver. Clarke didn't believe in the foolish predictions of the few fortune-tellers on the island, but in the tone of her voice sounded the truth.

Except that Clarke had no desire to think about it. She made a sign and two of the guards took the madwoman by one arm each, taking her gently but surely towards the exit.

"I wish you a good day. "Clarke said to her calmly as the old lady disappeared. She didn't show that all this had shaken her more than she would have liked. If there was one thing that being queen had taught her, it was how to fake emotions. And here, she needed a gentle phlegmatism and a friendly face.

The habit was that her face remained neutral while the next inhabitant began his speech. The only gesture she allowed herself was to gently massage the nape of her neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big up to those who will leave a comment !


	5. Chapter 5

In the afternoon after her coronation, Simrit signaled her to follow him. A shiver ran down her neck. She knew what was coming. Without saying a word, the Stonekepa guided her through a maze of corridors and staircases, ending up in front of a door that she had sometimes tried to force, when she was younger, but always in vain. The tension was at its height: she was finally going to discover what was behind that metal door - and it was probably the only room in the castle she had never seen!

Simrit took a complex key out of hiscoat and carefully inserted it into the lock. In a muffled whisper, a small panel slid out, revealing a flattened cylinder decorated with a series of numbers around its circumference. A code padlock! The Stonekepa approached, hiding the view from her, but she guessed from the soft rattle that he was turning it.

And the door opened. Clarke had her heart on the edge of her lips.

The room was huge. A house could easily have fit inside. It made the display on the platform in the middle of the room look tiny. Clarke thought to herself that such a debauchery of power was quite useless because almost no one could see it. But perhaps it was intended only for those who saw it: to remind the new ruler of his humility.

The light came from tiny openings in the ceiling, and the room was plunged into semi-darkness. So Clarke did not see right away that against the walls, in the shadows, there were other objects.

To her left, first, a basin filled with water, carved into the stone. Then she glanced at the wall and saw a shelf filled with white cloth in front of her. Finally, on the right, a long table of dark wood stood beside a pedestal table supporting an open cabinet. As she moved forward, she saw a metallic sheen in the box. A new shiver ran through her back.

The Stones were one of the most widespread legends of the archipelago. History had it that, a long time ago, men were already fighting to reclaim the territories of other islands, for no good reason other than the madness of grandeur. The gods, amused by these endless quarrels, took it in turns to take sides for one or the other of the islands, straightening up those that were going to sink so that the war would continue. Thus, for several hundred years, the archipelago saw the blood oozing almost constantly without anyone taking advantage. One day, when enlightened leaders, tired of these interminable and senseless battles, decided on a lasting armistice, Poseidon himself came down from Olympus to give men a reason to fight again: the Stones.

Each island of the archipelago was entitled to its own Stone. Each one had a different power, which corresponded to the character of its inhabitants. Thus, TonDC received a stone that made the people on whom it was applied suffer, that of Atlantis absorbed the life of the people and redistributed it to the bearer, and that of the Ark allowed the one being touched to consume more quickly his life force. He could then move mountains but aged much faster.

Only the Ombians knew the power of their Stone.

The wars began again. It was said that the island that managed to unite the seven stones could take over the rest of the world. Fortunately, Guid, the most peaceful island of the whole archipelago, managed to calm the unbridled fervor of TonDC and Atlantis mainly. Since then, the gods left them alone, and the Stones too had gradually fallen into oblivion. For the population, they were only a legend.

For the leaders, it was another story.

Still on the doorstep of this immense room, Clarke tried to control her stress, but the excitement of finally seeing this Stone that her father owned, and his before him, etc... prevented her from being as calm as she would have liked.

Simrit walked up to the display and she followed him. She was surprised to see not one, but two Stones under the glass bell. Two Stones, but they seemed to be one once: they both had a smooth side, of the same shape, suggesting that the Stone had been split in two. Clarke raised a worried gaze to the Stonekepa, which remained completely of marble.

"Clarke of the Ark, today is and always will be the most important day of your life: the day you receive the Stone.  
But the bearer of the Stone must be pure. Go through the basin and come out washed of all your impurities, both physical and moral. »

With measured steps, she approached the water. Steps made it possible to enter the water gradually and then, on the other side, to leave without difficulty. Without hesitation, she unwear her clothes one by one, leaving them on the edge. She had never been modest, and the moment was far too solemn to indulge in such low-extraction considerations.

She put her first foot in the water, barely holding back a groan of pain: the water must have been close to 0°C and was burning her skin. Courageously, she walked down the stairs one after the other, slowly, which was surely the worst way to get into the frozen water. But she wanted to reproduce this centuries-old ceremony to perfection. The pool was deeper than she had expected and to keep her feet on the ground, she would have to submerge herself completely for several meters. And that's what she did, after taking a deep breath.

And in the middle of the pool, Clarke was overwhelmed by dozens of lives, hundreds of emotions, by everyone who had been here before. She saw dozens of people looking at her, silent in the shadows of the room, she saw the castle without its west tower, she saw the island with much larger forests. She felt all the doubts, all the joys, all the sorrows, of those men and women who had gone before her. It was both confusing and soothing. Speed and peace.

When she came out of her trance, she was clearer than ever. She walked up the stairs and out of the pool, radiant. It didn't matter that she was clenching her teeth.

"The wearer of the Stone must be pure and healthy. Dry yourself and get dressed.

The shelf contained a large white towel that she used, and a sort of satin robe, also white. When she tied the cord around her waist, Simrit's voice rose again.

"The wearer of the Stone must be pure, healthy and courageous. Lie down on the altar. »

A hint of fear was in her belly at that moment, but she was still too transported by her bath to let herself weaken. She walked towards the table as the Stonekepa approached with a cloth containing one half of the Stone in her hands.

As Clarke approached, she saw that the box with the metallic reflections contained a whole paraphernalia of instruments of torture: scalpel, needles, pincers... but she prevented herself from thinking about it and lay down on her stomach, as it seemed right to her. A pillow was perfect for sticking her face into. Then she felt Simrit coming closer and pulled her hair from the back of her neck.

"Being a Stone bearer is not a role you take on when you need it. The Stone Bearer retains his responsibilities at all times. So that it is never separated from them, and so that they can use its powers wisely, the Stone Bearer and the Stone merge into one being. »

A line of fire was drawn on her neck. A sticky liquid ran down her neck and she closed her eyes of pain. It was even worse when she felt her skin being pushed away to make room for a cold object.

Clarke had often injured herself, as a younger child, playing or sword fighting. The injuries were certainly more serious, but the adrenaline that masked the pain was not present that day, as she lay on this wooden plank with only an ice bath to prepare her, which had awakened her nerves.

Then she felt the prick of the needle that, by passing a thread, closed her skin, and the soft sensation of a cloth blotting the blood.

When she got up, she felt a slow change in her body. She was now a queen, guided by the ghosts of all those who had gone before her.

The week following Omb's letter went by quite normally, the only change being a slight increase in work due to all the logistics of the Ombians' visit - but in fact, each week brought a new work surplus, due to one event or another.

The night before their arrival, Clarke would turn and roll over in the bed she shared with Finn without getting any sleep. Finn woke up and gave her a hug.

"Everything is going to be okay. It's not this cheap queen that's going to scare my Clarke, the strongest, most determined woman I know, is it? "Finn could really be adorable. "We rechecked all the details yesterday with Mooc, and anyway, it's just a social call. It can't go wrong.

"I know that. But I've got a bad feeling," she sighed.

Finn gently rubbed her back, stopping for a second on the scar on his neck, before slowly caressing her ribs, her hip, her thigh. He slipped a hand under his nightgown as Clarke shivered.

"Maybe I can help you forget her? »

She smiled as she kissed him.

***

Clarke had finally slept soundly, though not much. She had silenced her presentiment when she got out of bed. Sometimes you had to listen to hunches, but at other times, those same hunches were just a burden that left you weak and indecisive.

So Clarke sat on her throne - a large chair made of wrought wood - with all the poise and poise she could have - that is, a lot. She could have said that her charisma radiated into the rooms next door and that the crowd in the room was magnetically drawn to her - "but I don't want to brag," she said to herself with a smile.

Finn sat next to her and although Clarke's gaze hung on the door, she felt his reassuring and reliable presence. He was surely the most caring person in this world. Let's leave the past in its place, they had said to each other, which suited her very well.

But as she thought about that sentence, she had no idea how wrong it would turn out to be in the next minute.

As the doors opened, the Queen of Shadow entered the room.

The first thing that lifted Clarke's heart was not her sublime beauty.

Not even the impressive sword in her back.

Even less the dozens of guards armed to the teeth who followed her.

No, the first thing that made her heart waltz was that the Queen of Omb was none other than Lexa.


	6. Chapter 6

Lexa.

Lexa was standing in front of her.

Lexa.

It couldn't be true.

Lexa here?

Lexa Queen of Omb?

Lexa back to haunt her?

Her heart began to pound.

Lexa was right here.

Her belly twisted.

The young woman was dressed in an intricate, dark garment, revealing her thin, muscular arms and white throat. She had changed in seven years, but her black-rimmed emerald eyes remained the same.

They met Clarke's eyes, which began to get very hot. As conflicting feelings twisted in her stomach, a myriad of thoughts crossed her mind without any logic. Astonished: But what is she doing there? Physical: She's still as beautiful as ever... Angry: How can she show up here after what she did? Warm: Everyone must feel the tension between us... Murderers: I'm going to kill her! Observers: She doesn't look surprised. Hateful: I don't want her here! Attracted: I want her in my bed! Practical: Wasn't she supposed to live at TonDC? Guilty: But I love Finn... Resigned: She hates me too anyway.

Clarke thought that the smile she always had on her face wavered slightly.

The guards surrounding Lexa stopped about ten meters away from Clarke, clicking their heels in a perfect ensemble. The brunette's eyes hadn't left Clarke's since she entered the room and her face showed absolutely no emotion. A strange feeling gripped her guts. The feeling of unknown risk.

Clarke was slightly startled when the man to Lexa's right spoke. In his reaction, a thin smile imperceptibly stretched Lexa's mouth.

"Lexa Woodensen known as "the Indomitable One", first queen of the island of Omb, fifty-first bearer of the Stone, liberator of the infidels and winner of the initiatory trials! he said in a clear and assured voice.

A murmur was heard in the room when the Stone was announced, which remained engraved in the minds like a myth.

As for Clarke, she frowned slightly. Grandiloquent arrivals were not a habit on the Ark, but it was out of the question that she would lose face against Lexa. She nodded slightly to Finn.

"Clarke from the Ark, Queen of the Ark, uhuuuuh, beloved queen by day, and passionate lover by night," he ended with a smile, proud of his finding.

Clarke felt her heart stop at his words and she had to refrain from hitting her forehead with the palm of her hand. How silly Finn could be sometimes! The word would have been laughable in the presence of only island people, but the cultural differences seemed to be enormous with Omb.

Seeing her almost impassive, the people present in the room did not dare to laugh. They must also have been intimidated by the presence of the guard and the queen of Omb. Nevertheless, Clarke noticed that Lexa's slight smile seemed to have stretched half a millimeter. To top it all off, she was mocking her!

"Clarke," said Lexa in a clear, strong voice that made the blonde's belly vibrate as she heard him speak for the first time in seven years. "People of the Ark. Our two islands have been too far apart until now. I come to you today to remedy this distance that should never have existed. I hope that I can discover the wonders of your lands, and that tomorrow you will discover ours. »

As she spoke of the wonders of their land, was she thinking of that sun-flooded cove that Clarke had shown her so long ago? Was she thinking of their childish kisses or was she wrong when she gave herself to her? All these questions that Clarke hoped never to think of again were turning in her mind. It wasn't fair to come back and torture her like that.

"Lexa," she said with a fake smile when she didn't think she would ever have to say that name again, "and Queen's close guard, welcome to the Ark. I can't agree enough with your desire for a reunion. I would be happy to show you Numa, our capital, and the surrounding countryside. But first of all, all the inhabitants of the island are happy to invite you to a banquet in the big courtyard of the castle, around our entertainers who will be pleased to amaze you and make you laugh: ladies and gentlemen, this is Skaikru!"

A handful of men and women dressed in tight suits emerged from the crowd waving their hands in the cheers and applause of the audience. The crystalline laughter of a few children could be heard, and this time a real smile crossed Clarke's face. Being an artist was considered one of the most exceptional jobs on the Ark and they were very much appreciated. Each and every Skaikru release was a crowd-pleaser. The kids would say, "When I grow up, I want to be a Skaikru! "like Natahel, Clarke's oldest little brother. Then most of them, when they grew up, realized the difficulty and became farmers, merchants, or worse! financiers.

Nat, on the other hand, had not given up and was part of the group in front of her. At sixteen years old, he was already a handsome, slender young man and one of her pride and joy. She winked at him.

"If the sun shows the way to the west, Skaikru shows the way to rejoicing. People of Omb, I invite you to follow them! »

Clarke was aware that this sentence was appallingly ridiculous, but her people had always appreciated when she uttered pretty phrases. The inhabitants of the Ark being well-mannered (and slightly repelled by her guards) a hedge was formed to let the passage. Lexa nodded to her and the group made its way safely through the hall, Skaikru pirouetting and the Ombians in rhythm. Clarke could not help but try to guess the young woman's thoughts. She didn't look surprised, which meant that she knew Clarke was queen. How long had she known? Had she learned it when she was on the Ark or when she took office? But more importantly: what was she doing on the Ark when her people had always been against social mixing?

The blonde frowned, still sitting on her seat, while the rest of her people was happily heading towards the banquet. She would join them later, in about twenty minutes, just long enough to keep them waiting and for her arrival to be associated with relief - the meal was served. Even complex people are coaxed by such simple things - so what about the Arcadians?

Clarke went to the kitchens to check that everything was going as planned. Bellamy, one of her close guards, followed her. The chefs were overwhelmed, but one of them, Prunille, took the time to report back to her. The dish of Jerusalem artichokes with onion confit would finally be served after the saka (a special cereal grown only on the island) roasted skate after a setback, but it didn't matter to Clarke as long as everyone had enough to eat. Once again pleasantly surprised by the competence of her chefs, she left a little more serene.

Clarke had to be brave enough to reach the table where she was expected. She had obviously placed the Queen of Omb on her right and the conversation was likely to be very tense.

When the blonde arrived in the courtyard, the luckiest people who had managed to pile up on the benches rose to cheer her and shouted in unison :

"Clarke! Clarke! Clarke! Clarke! »

With a real smile on her lips, she raised one hand to demand silence. Which took a minute or two to arrive.

"Skaikru, your joie de vivre puts balm on all our hearts. I thank you for your hard work and invite you to sit down. "she said, pointing to an empty table. She paused for a moment and then shouted with a smile, "And now... Fill up your bellies, you freeloaders! »

The fateful moment has arrived. She sat down on her chair, took a deep breath - discreetly - before turning to Lexa. She looked at her, and the blonde was able to make out an amused look on her face. As Clarke wondered how to begin, it was Lexa who broke the silence:

"Your people seem to love you" and there was a hint of irony in her deep voice.

"Everyone has always loved me. "She replied in quick succession, eager to gain the upper hand over Lexa with the instinct of an ancient pain, but instantly regretting it. She wasn't here to give in to her impulses but to fulfill her duty as queen.

A veil of sadness covered Lexa's eyes for a moment, or at least Clarke thought he saw it. Her face was so impassive that it was difficult to read anything into it.

There was a heavy silence for a few moments, when the brunette couldn't answer and Clarke's brain was suddenly empty. And in that silence lay all the unspoken words, all the lies and all the kisses they had exchanged. The blonde's stomach tensed up but she couldn't tell if it was stress or something else.

Even though their story was seven years old and they were only fifteen at the time, so much pain remained in her memories that Clarke realized at that moment that she had never really been able to turn the page. But Lexa, of course, doesn't have this problem and can act normally without effort. Because she never loved me.

The entrance arrived, brought by Silent Ones, leaving her a few minutes to think about her next words. It was a fresh tomato soup with basil and orange. On L'Arche, fruits and vegetables were always served at the beginning of the meal - the blonde was convinced that this was what gave them their vitality. She took a spoonful.

"We were very surprised to receive your request. What made you change your mind compared to your predecessors? "she asked, remaining defensive.

Lexa looked up at her a little too abruptly, a gleam of uncertainty shining in her eyes. Strangely, Clarke felt for a few seconds that she was trying to tell her something. A kind of warning. But Lexa changed her mind and smiled politely at him.

"I told you. There's a lot to be gained from the exchange between our islands. »

"I'm delighted. That's also my opinion and I'm looking forward to making that connection. »

The conversation fell back. Clarke tried to act normal but it was impossible. The situation was much too strange. Underneath the banal sentences were so many questions. She had the impression that Lexa was deliberately making herself so desirable, bending over slightly to emphasize her cleavage, opening her lips to make her gaze linger, squinting to make herself mysterious. She felt her body irremediably attracted to the brunette while her mind was running away from her. Her heart was mixing brushes, her eyes were sublime, she was sweating, her red mouth was a delicate flower, a drop ran down her left temple, her thoughts blurred, and even her nose was adorable, her intestines twisted, so much stress, stress, stress.

Clarke closed his eyes to pull himself together. She took long breaths in and out. She was aware of the pitiful image she had to give, but if she wanted to regain control of herself, she had to go through this phase.

Within seconds, she was ready for the counterattack.

"It must surely be your many travels that give you such an opening to the world. And your in-depth knowledge of its inhabitants. »

The irony was palpable and Lexa was not mistaken. Her tongue moistened her lips for a moment. The ultimate symbol of her embarrassment?

"Yes I ... I traveled a lot when she was learning. But I've never found a more welcoming place than on the Ark. "She answered him with intense eyes.

Clarke blinked. Was she dreaming or was Lexa blossoming with her? Especially since according to her words, which still burned in her memory, the inhabitants were far from having been welcoming towards her... and especially Clarke, at the beginning. But the blonde chooses not to rise. Lexa was surely lost. The tomato basil orange soup must have been an aphrodisiac. And besides, the brunette had no right to play like that, when she had made him suffer so much, she had no right to try to destroy the sweet life she had with Finn. Not after all this time.

Anyway, maybe I'm wrong and she's just fulfilling her duties as queen.

"Being welcoming is one of our core values. ... otherwise I would have already spilled your soup on your head," she added in her head.

"I noticed. For our part, we put more emphasis on discipline and courage. »

Clarke glanced at the two guards, a man and a woman, who were a meter behind them. From the beginning of the meal, they had been standing stiff as stakes, their eyes scouring the room looking for danger as the only moving part of their whole body. A body that seemed ready to pounce at the slightest suspicious movement. It was both grandiose and surprising. The man was mixed race, the hair shaved off, the girl brown and quite young. Both were magnificent and exuded an aura that one would not expect from simple guards. But something told him that they were not simple guards, but true elites in their field.

"Indeed, I have never seen such beautiful warriors. What's your name? »

The guards cast an uncertain glance at Lexa, who nodded imperceptibly. Clarke felt a vague pity for them, stuck in their role, among these people where things seemed so orderly.

"Lincoln. "replied the man.

"Octavia. "completed the young woman.

Clarke nodded, almost uncomfortable with their overly measured response. And she smiled, as was the custom on the Ark.

"Congratulations for getting to this point. It must be a great honor to protect the Queen. »

Clarke generally had good intuitions about flattering people. Indeed, she saw the bottom of their eyes change from indifference to a kind of recognition.

"That is indeed the case. "Octavia replied.

Clarke nodded, urging her to continue.

"We've been training for this since we were children. And places are expensive, because as you can see, there are only two of us. »

"Is it common for you to have extensive military training? »

Octavia opened her mouth, looked at Lexa, then fell back into her silence. The blonde watched this strange ride with attention. It was finally Lexa who answered, with a slight - and false - smile on her lips.

"Not so much. We've just always made sure that we are able to defend ourselves against invasions. »

Clarke pretended to believe her but mentally noted to look into the matter later.

She then took care to divert the conversation to lighter topics, including Finn to her left. The tension was less palpable until he said :

"Lexa, you may find this strange, but your face is familiar. Have you ever been here or in Atlantis? »

The blonde exchanged an embarrassed look with Lexa. They both knew very well why she was familiar to him.

"I spent over a year on the Ark and a few months in Atlantis when I was younger. We may have crossed paths then. »

Finn then diverted the conversation to Lexa's childhood. But skillfully she managed to deflect her questions about life on the islands in general rather than her own life.

The meal ended without more incidents than usual, and Clarke invited the Ombians to rest in the quarters provided for them. She returned to her apartments herself. She felt exhausted after the afternoon she had just lived. Emotions were rushing through her, moving seamlessly from a fierce hatred to a deep desire. But she noticed that in this imbroglio there was something new: the desire to solve the mystery that was Lexa.


End file.
